EPFO: What problems arise if you have more than one UAN number, and how can you fix it?

A portion of your monthly salary is deposited into your Provident Fund (PF) account. This is managed by the EPFO ​​(Employees' Provident Fund Organisation). These funds are usually received upon retirement. However, in some situations, you can withdraw this money earlier. A UAN (Universal Account Number) is issued under the EPFO. Having two UAN numbers can lead to several problems. Let's discuss these in detail and also learn how to rectify this issue.

How do you end up with more than one UAN?
When an employee changes jobs, a second UAN number can be generated due to several reasons, including:

If you haven't shared your old UAN number with your new company.
If the new company's HR department hasn't linked it correctly.
Sometimes, your name might be spelled differently in different documents.
Lack of Aadhaar linking or incorrect date of birth in old records, etc.
What problems arise with more than one UAN number?
Problems with transfers
Difficulties with withdrawals
What to do if you have more than one UAN number?
How many UAN numbers are active?
First, you need to find out how many UAN numbers are active under your name. You can find this information on your old office's payslips. It will also be entered in your EPF passbook. Many people assume they only have one UAN number, but this is not always the case.

Which UAN number should you keep?
Now you need to decide which UAN number you want to keep active. The UAN number you received from your current company is the one you should continue using.

Check the details
Before transferring your old UAN to the new one, check all the details carefully to avoid any problems. You need to check even the smallest details, such as Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details, spelling of your name, etc.

If these details don't match, you may face problems during the transfer.

Transfer your EPF
If the details match, you can transfer the balance from your old UAN number to the new one. Nowadays, the balance from your old UAN number is automatically transferred to your new UAN number. This transfer may take a few days.

Deactivate the old number.
Once the funds have been transferred from your old UAN number to your new UAN number, you will need to request the deactivation of your old UAN number. Even if the funds have already been transferred, you still need to deactivate the old UAN number.

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